Cats

1. Furminator
2. Kreature Komfort Heated Bed
3. Da Bird and the Mouse Re-Fill
4. Cat Vs. Cat: Keeping Peace When You Have More Than One Cat
5. Cat Getting Out Of A Bag & Other Observations

Dogs

1. Easy Walk Harness
2. Furminator
3. Plush Leo
4. Tricky Treat Ball
5. Canine Body Language
6. Don’t Lick The Dog

I love these sweet birds! They’ll make such pretty cat toys, just add a little catnip to the stuffing.  You can download the pattern and it’s clear instructions from Spool.  So go pick some lovely fabric and give it a go.  Spool is a fabric store in Philadelphia that also offers classes.  They have yummy fabrics!

The Plush Leo from Canine Genius

Once Saffron got the hang of it, we started stuffing as many of her small toys as we could fit in it.  Sometimes she investigates it carefully from the outside finding every squeaker in the toys inside.  Other times she pulls them out one at a time.  And when she’s being beasty, she shakes it for all she’s worth and sends the toys inside flying.

It’s held up well.  It should be noted, Saffron is pretty easy on her toys.  And I’ve washed it with no problems.

Check out this previous post on the Brain Twister also from Canine Genius.  It’s another favorite in our house.

Here’s the collection of DIY projects I’ve written about recently that would make good, inexpensive presents this year when money is tight for so many.

PetProject hopes all of you are enjoying the season, that you & yours are healthy & happy, and that the coming year is filled with joy.

On with the projects!

Cat Toys:

• Knit a Mouse Toy
• No-Sew Feather Toy & Catnip Sock

Dog Toys:

• Braided, Fleece Tug Toy
• Sling-Shot Ball

Pet Beds:

• Nest Bed
• Bed From A Sweater (including my version)
  
• Bed From A Suitcase
• Knitted & Felted Bed
• Hooded Pet Bed

Dog Sweater:

• Small, No-Sew Sweater From A Sock

Today, I’ve got a super simple DIY dog toy for you and it’s thrifty too.  Yea!  Braided tug toys are pretty durable since there are no seams to rip and no stuffing to come out.  These two versions are even washable.

Fleece:

The first braided toy uses fleece. If you’ve got pieces long enough, you can use scraps.  Otherwise, the tutorial this tutorial calls for 3 1/4 yards of fleece.  Check the remnants table at your fabric store and keep an eye out for sales.  If you want a wider braid, try four strands.  Just follow these instructions on four strand braids(scroll down).

Pant Legs:

The second braided toy uses pant legs from old pairs of pants.  You’ll need two pairs of pants.  I think a large  binder clip might be handy for when you’re hand sewing each end.  An alternate way to finish the ends, might be to tie them off with twine by wrapping the ends a several times and knotting the twine.  Easy and cheap!

Here are two different, super easy DIY cat toys that don’t require any sewing.  The first tutorial is for those colorful felt feathers above. All you need is some wool felt in nice colors, some little jingle bells, and some cord.  Here’s the template for the feathers. And you can watch a video of how to make them.

The second toy is so simple, but could be really cute depending on the little socks you get.  You need some fun socks—I’d go with bright colors or colors of the same hue.  And you need some dried catnip.  Make a funnel out of paper, pour in enough catnip to fill it halfway, and tie the sock in a knot.  That’s it.

If you need it here’s the tutorial. Martha Stewart glues on felt eyes and a mouth with non-toxic glue, but I’d skip that.  They’re just going to fall off anyway and then there will be gross, sticky spots.

Clever treats:

How great is this ferret & menorah shirt?

There are even cat menorah:

And books:

Instructables comes through again with a detailed tutorial on how to knit a cute and safe little mouse for your kitty.  You can use up scrap yarn.  Or as MaggieBelize says:

Next time you have to knit a gauge swatch for felting, just knit a tail onto it as I describe here. When you’ve finished felting & measuring for your project, recycle the gauge swatch into an instant catnip mouse toy!

She even includes instructions of how to felt your mouse.  Cool!

The Brain Twister is a nifty toy from Canine Genius:

• it’s got a squeaker in each flower
• it makes a great fetch toy
• the spiral shape makes it much more interesting—Saffron likes inspecting the whole “stem” and shaking it so it flaps around
• the inner seam is very well reinforced, so it also makes a great tug-of-war toy, it stretches to 46 in.
• it also comes in neoprene for a water toy (Note: it appears it’s no longer available in neoprene.)
  
• it can be wrapped around your dog’s torso for a game of “how do I get this thing off me”—Saffron loves this game as you can see below

Check out this post on the Plush Leo with Stuffies, also by Canine Genius.